We propose to make measurements of the intimate details of oviductal transport processes including ovum pickup, ampullary transport, ampullary retention, and isthmic ovum transport, and to determine the mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Direct observations of transport processes will be made in rabbits and monkeys anesthetized and instrumented with an abdominal observation dish. The intraluminal motion of a variety of optically dense materials will be recorded on 16mm motion picture film. Data extracted from the films will be analyzed by computer to provide numerical and graphical descriptions of oviductal transport. Materials to be used include stained cumuli oophorus, egg surrogates of varying size, and fluids and gels of varying volume and viscosity. The differences in their motion will be related to differences in their physical properties and used to analyze the mechanisms controlling the transport processes. In addition, muscle activity will be controlled pharmacologically to separate the influence of cilia from that of the muscle. Solutions containing polycationic macromolecules will be used to block ciliary transport and study the role of the muscle. The resulting data will be incorporated in a stochastic model of oviductal transport mechanisms designed to account for the net transport of gametes in terms of their specific motion within the lumen. Careful attention will be directed toward identifying species differences and similarities in transport mechanisms.